Happy anniversary

[Hemi Bob]

32 years ago to day,  I walked into Hurst Yamaha and bought my 85 Fj $5495.00
and a free set of Pirelli tires. Picked it up the 1st of May and at the first oil change of 500km
had the dealer install a set of jebs lowers.
I guess I should take her out for a drink 
Though I was finished spending money on her a couple years ago
Then I found All you guys & ebay ....... when will it end 

Bob

[balky1]

Beautiful.
Do you even ride it or just polish it? 

[Hemi Bob]

Ha ha Ya,  I ride her, she has 53,000km blew it up around 18,000 maybe a bit
to hard.
Had to bore it out and put some new wiseco in. After a valves seat came
out breaking the head of a valve making a mess of a piston etc.
Did park it for a couple years after the 2 kid and wife took priority.
Even stored it at a buddy's funeral home for a few months when we
were homeless waiting  on our house to be built. Now it more of shine her up
and a nice ride in the country. Only now the city is moving in on my country
and the roads are getting busier and more hwys being built all around me.
Might be time to move again! Wife's not going to be happy

[Motofun]

Ha Ha...bought my '85 at the end of the '85 season.  The dealer was having a dollar off a cc sale!  Still have the bike but it has a few more miles on it now.  Funny how it morphed from a sportbike into a tourer.  When I took it out for a test ride my impression was riding a milk stool at 120 mph....now it's more like a couch.

[giantkiller]

Wow that was expensive. My 86 was $4400 out the door. Had no idea what bike I wanted. Walked into Pannetty? Yamaha. Spring of 86. Saw the huge 150 on the back. Saw the sign that said $4400 out the door. Called my dad and barrowed the money. Rode it for 21/2 months put 14,000 miles on it and totalled it out. When I fella crashed in front of @ somewhere around 135mph.

[aviationfred]

Wow that was expensive. My 86 was $4400 out the door.

I believe that Bob is using a Canadian Dollar figure. I have no idea what the exchange rate was 32 years ago. At todays exchange rate, I believe he paid a great price.

$5495.00 CAD, equals $4126.50 USD


Fred

[Hemi Bob]

Your right Fred,  Its Canadian  dollars, and back in 85 the rate was about 26 %. I just pulled out the invoice
and the bike cost was $5599 + Tax, freight, PDI. out the door a whopping $6237.03 This was beginning  of the
poor bike sales as rate of exchange around the world made it difficult for a lot of younger people to buy and insure new bikes.
I don't remember the cost to insure back then but if you couldn't pay cash you had to get full coverage ins. and based on age
most guys could not afford the insurance.

Bob

[fjbiker84]

Great story, beautiful bike.  I bought my 84 from the original owner and he gave me the bill of sale which I've unfortunalely since misplaced (bike was purchased from a dealer in Alabama). My bike cost $4400.  Of course, that was in 1984 dollars.  Probably would be three times that much in 2017 dollars.

[giantkiller]

Your right Fred I just looked up April 86 exchange rate. Would have been $4553.03 US.out the door. So wasn't bad. Oh yeah it would​ have been 85. Oh Well.

Great bike. Happy anniversary!!! May you have many more.

[Pat Conlon]

Happy anniversary Bob!

Bikes that you've had since new are special.

[Motofun]

Pat brings up an interesting idea....bikes you bought new...for me...
'85 FJ1100 (first new bike-still have)
'00 R1 (still have)
'04 Wife's FJR1300 ABS  (sold)
'13 GSXR 750 (track only)
'14 FZ09 (keeper)
'14 Wife's Kawi 650 Ninja

[Hemi Bob]

Pat I have to say nice  write up in Motorcycle classics Got my copy a couple weeks ago. very nice !
Bikes I bought new .
For me I've had 3 bikes in 1981 a friend took me for a ride from Toronto to Niagara falls with a group of friends
everyone had a passenger the last bike to arrive a Howard Johnson's paid for the groups dinner. I rode on the back of
a 1981 Suzuki 1100 ex.  enjoyed my free dinner    I week later a had sold my 69 Camaro Z/28  and bought a 1981 Suzuki 750ex. That summer  I rode a lot got my bike license. Then after paying for dinner to many times traded it in on a new 81 Suzuki 1100 ex that the dealer still had sitting on the show room floor in the spring of 1982. In 1984 I saw the Yamaha fj1100 it looked fast just standing still. I thought Id wait till 85 and hope any bugs got worked out. Sold my Suzuki. Then on April 13 1985 bought my FJ and have loved it ever since, Even when it had to take a back seat to wife and kids. Not sure how I will ever part with her now  ( bike)
Picked up a few tickets along the way the worst was 180km in an 80 km zone the fine was $500 and five points and you had to attend court. My lucky day the Cop didn't show up I had hired a lawyer to help me that day  paid him $200 for 10 minutes of work. And walked away.
Bob

[big r]

Bob I had one of those just before I bought my 86. Was a great bike except for some electrical glitches. Ended adapting an alternator from an 1100 Kawasaki and no more problems. Nice bike. I have somebody coming to look at the FJ tomorrow. Th e first gentleman was going to buy it changed his mind because he wanted to put the fairing on an 88. Dont want to sell but the knees are totally shot and just cant do it anymore

[Pat Conlon]

Thanks Bob.
Street Bikes I've owned thru the years (starting at the earliest and not counting trail bikes, mini bikes) were Honda CB350, Honda CB500, Honda CB750 custom chopper, '84 FJ1100 and '92 FJ1200.

All were used bikes except the FJ1100 which I bought new.

Cheers. Pat

[FJ_Hooligan]

Cool tangent to the thread.

Street bikes bought new:
1978 Yamaha XS 750 triple with shaft drive, sold to buy,
1982 Yamaha XJ1100 with shaft drive, sold to buy,
1985 Yamaha FJ1100 ($4800 out the door),
2016 BMW S 1000 XR.

Used Street bikes:
1969 Honda CB 350 (bought in 1970, sold to buy XS 750 above)
1993 Yamaha FJ1200 ABS (bought in 2000, sold to Country Joe)
2002 Yamaha FZ1 (bought in 2005 current commuter bike)

Dirt bikes bought new:
1972 Hodaka 100 B+ (street legal version of the Super Rat),
1974 Yamaha MX360 (rocket 2-stroke, favorite dirt bike ever),
2005 Yamaha TTR 230 (huge disappointment compared to what I remember about the MX360),
2005 Yamaha TTR 90 (for my son),
2015 Husky FE 350 (Eagle Scout/High School graduation present for my son)

Used Dirt bikes:
1968 Yamaha YL-2C (100cc endure with electric start and rotary valve induction, my very first bike),
1971 Yamaha 250 DT1 (nice bike, the year before reed valve induction),

Bikes I'd like to have back:
The '93 FJ and the '74 MX360.